Event Details
Saturday 19 September
Sunday 20 September
Gates open at 10am*
Talk tickets and festival passes will be released for sale online at 10am on 15 April 2026.
Chatsworth Friends and Patrons pre-sale will be launched via email at 7pm on 14 April 2026.
The Queen's Reading Room Festival returns to Chatsworth for a second year with an extended two-day celebration of books and ideas, promising up-close talks, lively conversations, and memorable performances by acclaimed writers, thinkers, and literature lovers.
Within a new Festival Hub, located on the South Lawn in the Chatsworth Garden, you can experience dedicated talk theatres and an exclusive programme of festival entertainment, including The Writers' Room and The Poetry Room.
This year's headliners include Clare Balding, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Cecelia Ahern, Meg Mason, Elif Shafak, Ann Cleeves, Louise Penny, Jeffery Archer, Kate Atkinson, William Boyd, Jessie Burton, Reeta Chakrabarti, Daisy Fancourt, Lucy Foley, Jane Harper, Louise Kennedy, Philippa Perry, Jennifer Saint, Nussaibah Younis, and Louisa Young.
Festival passes also include entry to the house, where you can explore our 2026 exhibition, House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library, as well as the garden and farmyard.
Ticket information
Tickets on sale at 10am on 15 April.
Talk Tickets - must be booked in advance
£20 per talk (plus £25 for a festival pass)
The Festival offers the opportunity to hear from a range of world-class published authors and special guests.
To attend a talk, you must purchase a festival pass plus a ticket for each talk you wish to attend.
All talk tickets and festival passes must be booked in advance.
Festival Pass - must be booked in advance
£25 per person
A festival pass includes entry to Chatsworth House, Garden, and Farmyard on the day of your visit, plus access to the Festival Hub.
In the Hub, you'll find The Writers' Room, The Poetry Room, Bookshop Signing Tents, and a Catering Village.
Festival passes include free parking for one vehicle per transaction.
Festival Universal Credit Tickets
We want as many people as possible to be able to experience Chatsworth and The Queen's Reading Room Festival.
Universal Credit Tickets are available for selected talks and entry to the Festival Hub.
What's On
Festival Headliners
View the full schedule of talks from this year's star-studded line-up.
Lee Child and Special Guests
From Reacher to Rehabilitation: Writing, Reading and Second Chances
Saturday 19 September, 7pm
An evening talk by Lee Child and special guests.
Separate ticketed event.
Afternoon Tea
19 & 20 September
Add an elegant afternoon tea in the Old Duke's Glasshouse in the Chatsworth Garden to your festival experience.
Festival pass or garden ticket also required.
House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library
Until 4 October
Included with your festival pass is entry to Chatsworth House, Garden and Farmyard.
In the house, explore our exhibition 'House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library', bringing together literary treasures from the collections and archival letters, sketches, and manuscripts from famous authors to tell new stories.
The Writers' Room
Located in the Festival Hub, gain a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing world in this rolling programme of interviews, each featuring an author, publicist, publisher, editor, and literary agent.
Festival pass required.
The Poetry Room
Supported by The TS Eliot Foundation and located in the Festival Hub, the Poetry Room is a feel-good space featuring live poetry readings and relaxed conversations with special guests.
Festival pass required.
Bookshop Signings
Buy a book from our Orangery gift shop or Bookshop Signing Tent and have it signed and dedicated by its author.
Festival Pass required.
The festival is co-produced by The Queen's Reading Room and Chatsworth House Trust, the independent charity responsible for the preservation and development of Chatsworth. Proceeds from ticket sales will support the ongoing efforts of both charities.
Festival Information
Festival Food & Drink
Bring a picnic or buy sandwiches, snacks, light lunches, and drinks from one of our outlets.
Visitor Information
Download a digital festival map or a Chatsworth grounds map, check accessibility, learn about shops and dining options, and how to get to Chatsworth.
About our talk venues
Heading to a talk? Familiarise yourself with our talk venues.
Friends, Patrons and Passholders
Friends, Patrons and Passholders may book their usual member tickets to visit the house, garden and farmyard over the weekend of 19 and 20 September. These tickets do not include access to The Queen's Reading Room Festival Hub or talks.
If you would like to access the Festival Hub or attend any of the talks, please purchase a festival pass and relevant talk ticket/s.
Chatsworth Friends and Patrons benefit from pre-sale access to festival tickets. Ticket booking links will be sent by email at 7pm on 14 April.
To help manage traffic on site over the festival weekend, all tickets must be booked in advance.
Please note that the Chapel and Oak Room will be closed over the weekend.
For further information, please contact:
Friends: friends@chatsworth.org
Patrons and Corporate Passholders: development@chatsworth.org
Estate Passholders: chatsworth.events@chatsworth.org
FAQs
View our frequently asked questions.
Stay With Us
With miles of walks on the estate and in the national park, as well as centuries of heritage, art and design to explore, Chatsworth and the Peak District are a dream destination for an unforgettable escape. Find a stay with us in a hotel, inn, cottage, or shepherd’s hut here.
Please note: Please be aware that for technical, operational or safety reasons, some facilities may be removed or closed, or entertainment and event timetables cancelled and/or altered at any time, including at short notice. Chatsworth reserves the right to change the programme of attractions and entertainment if, at any time, it is deemed necessary or appropriate to do so, this may also include closing attractions or areas of the estate. We apologise in advance for any disappointment caused should this need arise.
All images of the Festival on these pages show the 2025 event and are included as a guide only.
* Early entry on Sunday 20 September for William Boyd talk ticketholders.
